Candidate for
Board Member; Oak Park Unified School District

Derek Ross has been in the risk management industry for over 25 years and is President of Kulchin Ross Insurance Services, LLC. His emphasis is in entertainment, fitness, real estate, construction and retail industries. Derek provides custom tailored Disaster Prevention Training, Sensitivity Training and Specialized Loss Control Programs to help his clients lower their risk ratio while improving their bottom line.

Derek is the current President of the Independent Brokers and Agents of the San Fernando Valley (IBA SFV) and also served as its president in 2003. While serving, he has represented the association in Washington D.C. and Sacramento, working with legislators to reform insurance regulations.

Derek is also a dedicated community volunteer and is experienced with disaster preparedness training. He shares his expertise with several organizations, including Volunteer in Policing (V.I.P), Disaster Assistance Response Team (D.A.R.T), and the Oak Park Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T.)

In 2008, Oak Park constituents elected Derek as a member of the Oak Park Municipal Advisory Council (OP MAC) in his local community of Oak Park, California and served as the Chairman of that Council in 2011.

Derek was also elected to the Oak Park Recreation and Park District Committee in 2010 and currently serves as its vice-chairman (Chairman, 2013).

His dedication to the community lead him to co-author a book titled, Images of America - Oak Park. All the proceeds from that book have been donated to non-profit organizations in the community of Oak Park.

In 2010 Derek founded and volunteer edits a community website titled http://www.OakParkNow.com

Derek has been married to his wife Lauren for ten years. They have two children, Molli (5) and Elli (4). They moved to Oak Park in 2003 in order to secure the best education possible for their future children. Molli begins her academic experience at Red Oak Elementary in August 2014.

Derek has been committed to a healthy, fit lifestyle for all of his life. He was certified as a personal trainer in 2004 and competes in triathlons and other events throughout California. He is huge supporter of creative calisthenics and trains all over the country supporting the http://www.barstarzz.com organization

As an early riser, Derek can be found at Indian Springs Park most mornings playing around on the bars, just as he did as a kid.